Prep Soccer: Height-challenged Boylan girls out of 2A

HOFFMAN ESTATES — Sydney Wright and Shelby Seiter knew they were up against a tall task.

Boylan’s clear height disadvantage against Lake Forest was going to cause problems for the Titans in the Class 2A Hoffman Estates Supersectional.

The Scouts length affected the Titans in a variety of ways in a 2-1 loss in overtime Tuesday that ended Boylan’s season.

“We knew what we were up against and just did what we could,” said Seiter, who is 5-foot-4.

“We’re a short team,” the 5-foot-2 Wright said. “We knew we couldn’t win all the headers, but we kept trying.

“That’s all you can ask for.”

Lake Forest’s (17-6-1) height advantage was felt on headers, as well as on Boylan’s (21-5) passes down the field. Scouts mid Sheridan Bufe, forward Brooke Green and defender Lucy Edwards closed in on the offense — ranging from 5-7 to 5-10 — legging out balls intended for the Titans.

“They had people in the middle that gave us some disadvantages there,” Boylan coach Mark Couper said. “We had our moments. But they’re dangerous on dead balls and we knew that.

“That was really the difference in the game.”

Edwards, who will play women’s soccer for DePaul next fall, scored the first goal against the Titans in the 24th minute on a scrum after a corner kick.

Boylan didn’t get on the board until Seiter’s goal in the 54th minute after a corner kick.

“Their team just kind of messed in the center of the goal,” Seiter said. “I just saw what I could do and put it in.”

The Titans played more inspired and, momentarily, started beating the Scouts to spots that they couldn’t earlier.

“Every time we score we have a little bit more momentum,” Wright said. “We started playing our game more, and that definitely helped us.”

The goal eventually forced overtime, where the Scouts settled in. Boylan failed to convert a corner kick into a score a little more than a minute into the first overtime half, and Edwards netted a goal on Lake Forest’s own corner kick.

“We just got mixed up on our half,” Seiter said. “It was the same thing that they did when they messed up.”

“Edwards is just top-notch,” Couper said. “Kudos goes to them.”

The Scouts played keep-away for a bit and the Titans couldn’t tie the game in the final 12 minutes.

“We fought really hard to tie this game up,” Couper said. “I thought we gave ourselves some chances, but I couldn’t be prouder.

“It was a great season and I think Lake Forest is going to go far.”

“We’re disappointed that we came up short of making state,” Wright said. “But I’m proud of everything we’ve done this season.”